Pheasant breast on parsnip puree with pine nut crust, shallots & red wine

Posted on 4th December 2014
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Parsnip Puree

Ingredients

  • 3 large parsnips peeled,cored & cut 3 to 4cm chunks
  • 500ml whole milk
  • 1 small spring of thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 clove of garlic peeled
  • 25g unsalted butter

Method

  1. Place the parsnips chunks into a heavy based saucepan with milk, bay leaves. thyme & garlic, if necessary top up with water to cover the parsnips by 1cm
  2. Bring to simmer & cook for 25 minutes or until parsnips are tender
  3. Remove the bay leaves & thyme & ladle ingredients into blend mixer. It is likely you will need to do this in batches.
  4. Puree parsnips until they are of a smooth & silky consistency
  5. Return the puree to a clean pan & season with salt & pepper & stir in butter until melted
  6. Heat through when ready to serve with other contents of dish.
  7. Pine nut crust

Pine Nut Crust

Ingredients

  • 12 oz breadcrumbs
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 12 tbl spoon of pine nuts
  • 6oz butter

Method

  1. Blend the breadcrumbs, garlic, pinenuts & butter in a blender until smooth

Shallots & Red Wine Jus

Ingredients

  • 250g shallots diced
  • 4 tbl spoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove lightly crushed
  • sprig of rosemary
  • 5tbl spoon balsamic vinegar
  • 400ml red wine
  • 400 brown game stock (preferably home made)
  • knob of butter

Method

  1. Saute the shallots in a medium saucepan with olive oil on a high heat fro 3 minutes, stirring often & season with pepper.
  2. Add garlic & rosemary
  3. Continue cooking for a further 3 minutes stirring often to prevent the shallots from burning.
  4. Pour the vinegar & cook until evaporated away to a syrup then pour in the wine & cook until reduced by two thirds
  5. Pour in stock & bring to boil, then turn down the heat & simmer until reduce by two thirds again, to around 250ml
  6. Remove the garlic & rosemary add a little seasoning & finally whisk in the knob of butter
  7. Add any juices from the pheasant just before serving

Pheasant Breasts

Ingredients

  • 4 Pheasant breasts
  • Salt & pepper
  • Good olive oil

Method

  1. Heat a non stick pan on medium heat , season the pheasants
  2. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side
  3. Put the pine nut crust on top of the pheasants
  4. Pre- heat oven to 180c & cook the pheasants for approx 4 minutes
  5. Bring out of oven & leave to rest
  6. Warm up parsnip puree
  7. Plate up puree then pheasant breast on top & drizzle with red wine shallot jus.
  8. Serve with vegetables of your choice & enjoy